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3 Haziran 2008 Salı

8th Week Summary Submission_2

Onur MENGIUD 514 Spring’08 IYTE8th Week Summary Submission

The Morphological Dimension

In this article discusses urban morphology which is the configuration of form and space. There are two types of urban space system, which are referred to “traditional” and “modernist”. Four morphological elements as land uses, building structures, plot pattern and street pattern are mentioned by morphologist Conzen emphasizing the the differences stability of them.Compared with the other elements, land uses are temporary. Incoming uses often lead to redeevelopment, creation new buildings and to plot amalgations, less often to subdivisions and changes in the street pattern. By contrast, displaced land uses are more likely to relocate to existing buildings in older areas, rather than developing them.

The most important elements of the urban environment are the plot pattern and the cadastral pattern. Typically subdivided ito plots or lots. As plots have been amalgamated to enable the construction of larger buildings, plot sizes have become larger. This process usually occours in one direction only: plots are often amalgamated, but more rarely subdivided. Cadastral pattern is the layout of urban blocks and the public place-movement channels or network between them. The blocks define the space, or the space define the blocks. “Palimpsest” is used as a metaphor for process of changes where current users overwrite, not completely erase, the marks of prior use. An important urban design quality established by the cadastral pattern is that of “permeability” meaning the extent to which an environment allows a choice of routes either through or within it. This is measured by “accessibility”. Visiual permeabilitiy refers to the ability to see the routes through an environment, while physical permeability refers to the ability to move through an environment. In some cases there may be visual but not physical permeability and vice versa. Finely meshed grids offer many different ways to get from place to place within the grid. If grid becomes discontinuous through the severing of connections ad the creation of dead ends, permeability is reduced.

Changes and reactions in morphological structure of public space has led to a shift towards the qualities of traditional urban space. The layout and configuration of urba block structure is important both in determining the pattern of movement and in setting parameters for development. The size and the shape of urban blocks contribute significantly to an environment’s character. Block sizes can be determined by the local context.

As mentioned above, this article focused on form and layout. In general terms, it has showed and discussed block patterns and grid system.